El Rio Grande Latin Market

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. In the early hours of every Wednesday morning, a delivery driver for El Rio Grande Latin Market noticed an unusual scent wafting from the loading dock. At first, he thought it might be leftover tamale steam or maybe something cooking in the kitchen. But as weeks passed, the smell grew stronger and more distinct—like someone had accidentally left a vat of chili con carne simmering too long. One day, while investigating, the delivery driver found a pot filled with simmering salsa so spicy even ghost peppers blushed. Turned out, a neighbor had accidentally left it overnight. Since then, whenever anyone asks about the mysterious aroma on Wednesdays, they just say, ‘Oh, that’s just El Rio Grande’s secret recipe for keeping customers happy.’

2. At closing time one Friday night, an employee locked up El Rio Grande Latin Market and walked outside. ‘Hey!’ someone called from behind him. He turned around—only to see no one there. Twice more it happened that week. Finally, on his last trip out, he looked over his shoulder and saw a delivery driver waving goodbye. The next morning, everyone joked that maybe the market had hired a ghost as security!

3. At midday on Sundays, an elderly gentleman would wheel his shopping cart into El Rio Grande Latin Market and announce over the store’s intercom: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, today is the day when tortillas grow on trees!’ As he spoke, everyone in the market stopped what they were doing—even the delivery drivers paused their unloading. A young employee leaned over the intercom and whispered back, 'Sir, that’s impossible!' To which the old man replied with a twinkle in his eye, 'Then why do you buy them every week?' The whole place erupted in laughter, and from then on, whenever anyone missed a Sunday, they’d ask, 'Did Grandpa come to the market today?'

4. At dusk on Thursdays, a delivery driver for El Rio Grande Latin Market noticed something peculiar: every week, exactly at five minutes past six, a shadowy figure would emerge from behind the bananas and disappear among the tortillas. Curious, the delivery driver followed one night and found himself watching an elderly gentleman gently rearranging the avocados before blending back into the shadows. Turns out, he was just helping out his neighbor who worked late. The delivery guy grinned, realizing that sometimes the strangest urban legends turn out to be acts of kindness.